Binder



Patented Mar. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFCE 7 Claims.

My invention contemplates an improved form of ilexible binding post for loose leaf binders and the like.

An object of my invention is to provide such a binding post that will be of a highly flexible nature yet will have suflicient rigidity to prevent the buckling of the post.

A further object is to provide such a post as is suitable for connecting two parallel clamping l0 bars near their ends in a manner obviating the necessity for punching holes through the pages for the reception of the post.

A further object is to provide such a post as will have strength capable of maintaining a tension between the two clamping bars suicient to retain sheets within the binder solely by means of a clamping force.

A further object is to provide such a post that is capable of being retracted within one, or both,

of the two parallel clamping bars in a manner allowing the two covers of the binder to maintainat all times a parallel relationship, one with the other, thus permitting the binder to be stacked on a shelf in the manner of an ordinary g5 bound book.

A furtherobject is to provide such a post as is capable of being protruded from its housing for enough of its length to permit the accommodation in the binder of a greater number of sheets than is usual in binders, already in cornmon use, wherein the pages are retained solely by the clamping action of two parallel bars.

A further object is to provide such a post that will be capable of forming a semi-circle when 55 the binder is fully expanded, thus enabling punctured sheets, through which the post passes to lie flat upon the opened covers.

A further object is to provide such a post as will be composed of a stranded ilexible post, or

4o of a chain, covered by a flexible casing.

A further object is to provide such a post in which the eXible casing is composed of a coiled wire or the like, in `any event, a casing `formed of asingle strip of tightly coiled material. A further object is to provide such a post as will be readily adaptable to all forms of binders in which a post is used.

A further object is to provide novel 'forms of binders `to which my post is peculiarly adapted.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure, combination and arrangement 'of vthe various parts, and in certain modes of operation and will be readily apparent to those U skilled in the art upon reference to the detailed description and drawings forming a part of 'this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of one form of my invention with portions broken away and 5 portions in section;

Figure 2 is an enlarged section of one end of the form of invention shown in Figure 1 and is taken on the line 2 2 of that figure;

Figure 3 is a detail of one end of my binder l0 showing ,an optional method and means for holding folded sheets therein;

Figure 4 is an enlargeddetail of one end of one of the folded sheet retainers shown in Figure 3 In Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure l show- 4l5 ing a modication of my invention;

Figure 6 is a sectional detail on the line 5--6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a perspective detail of one corner of the form of the invention seen in Figure 5. 20

With further reference to the drawings,

wherein like reference characters have been used throughout to indicate like parts, B indi- Cates a binder having-cover plates I hingedly connected as at 3 to hollow housings or clamping 425 bars 5 and l. Sheets or pamphlets II are enclosed by a supplemental cover 9 and are clamped between housings 5 and 'I by the binding posts I3. While I have shown the use of a supplemental cover 5 in this form of the inven- 30 tion, such a cover is vnot essential to the proper operation of my binder and may be omitted if desired. While this form of the invention uses a pair of binding posts I3, it will be sullicient to describe but a single one of them, as each is a yI duplicate of the other. v

The binding post I3 comprises a stranded core I5 and while either Wire or cord may be used to make up the core it is desirable,though not esseng tial, that the core be formed of stranded mate- L10 rial for it is only in such cores that the desired amount of flexibility together with durability is found. One end of the core I5 is anchored to the housing I by being attached to the `pierced p end I8 of an anchor I'I which is seated within 45 the housing 'I adjacent one end. The other end of the core I5 extends `through an opening I2 adjacent one end of the housing 5 and is therein secured to a portion I9 of an internally threaded traveler `2l). 50

A exible casing I4, composed of a tightly coiled wire or strip, surrounds the core I5 and -has one end seated against but not necessarily attached to the housing 'I and the other end similarly seated against the portion I9 of the traveler 20. While AV55 I am aware that prior inventors have formed binding posts by enclosing a stranded core in a exible casing, none of them have attained the high degree of flexibility that I attain by enclosing my core in a casing composed of a tightly coiled wire or strip. While to all appearances my casing is a coiled spring, and in practice may actually be a coiled spring, it is to be understood that it does not perform the normal function of a coiled spring since there is no tension nor stretch involved-each coil remaining constantly in contact with the adjoining coils, at least over parts of their lengths. While there is no necessity to use a resilient material for this casing, there is, nevertheless, an advantage in so doing since a coil made of non-resilient substanstances would tend to lose its original form, whereas, a resilient coil holds its shape and tends to straighten out of its own accord when released from a bending pressure.

The travelers 20 are threadedly mounted on either end of a rod 30, one end 33 of which is rotatably mounted in the casing 5 adjacent one end. One halt` of the rod 30 is threaded in one direction as at 3l and the other half is threaded in the opposite direction as at 32 so that rotation of the rod 30 in either direction will cause the travelers 20 to move along the rod in opposite directions. Rotation of the rod is accomplished by means of a finger piece 34 which is slidably mounted on the flattened end 35 of the `rod 30. While I have shown a pin and slot connection between the finger piece 34 and the flattened end 35, it is obvious that rotation of the rod 3l) may be accomplished by any other suitable means. l

In operation, pamphlets or sheets are placed between the housings 5 and 1 and the rod 30 is rotated in a direction to cause the travelers 20 to move towards each other. As the ilexible cords I5 are attached to the travelers and the housing 'I they tend to pull the latter towards the housing 5 until the sheets are securely clamped between the two. The casing I4 being of a highly ilexble character readily follows along behind the travelers 20 as they move together and the clamping operation takes place. The high degree of flexibility of the casing I4 enables the operator to clamp the sheets with the maximum degree of tightness, without providing special guideways for the casing I4. In the prior art I am aware that flexible cords have been enclosed in flexible housings but in every instance where the casing is composed of members linked t0- gether or merely composed of members loosely strung on a cord, there is a point between the joints of each link when the right angle turn into the housing is made where infiexibility occurs and the operator must loosen or tighten his grip until a link joint is on the corner. Prior exponents of this art have tried to obviate this evil by forming their casings of rubber or leather or by building guideways into the housings. The former is objectionable as it quickly rots or wears out and the latter is not advantageous because it involves too much expense in the construction of the housing.

My device has successfully eliminated this evil by providing a casing capable of turning at right angles (Figure 2) without necessitating the use Of a specially designed guide\vay,-whi1e at the same time it allows the amount of tension to be adJusted to any desired degree. The casing I 4 1s formed of metal and it is naturally assumed that it will be strong and extremely durable. By

forming my casing of a coil all of the advantages of a solid walled casing and of a segmented structure are obtained with none of the disadvantages.

The coiled casings I4, as formed, have sufficient rigidity to pass freely through the open- ,ings I2 without themselves buckling when the 3) is rotated in a reverse direction to loosen the clamping grip of the housings 5 and 'I.

The casing I4, by virtue of its coiled structure, lengthens slightly when bent, but returns to a definite minimum length when straightened. In constructing my binding post care is taken that the length of the flexible core I5 is equal to the length of the casing I4 when the latter is bent at a right angle at one point. It will be readily apparent, therefore, that the casing, because its ends are seated upon parts to which the core is anchored cannot expand further in length, and, therefore, is incapable of bending at right angles at more than a single point. Furthermore, the equality in length of the core and casing when bent at one point compels the remainder of the casing to assume a rigid, rod-like form. This property is essential to the successful operation of the binder, since this rod-like rigidity is used to transmit the pushing force exerted by the traveler 20 when it is moved towards the end of the rod 3E) when rotated in one direction, and so to force the two clamping bars 5 and 'I apart.

In this form of the invention it is to be noted that the sheets or pamphlets gripped need not be perforated or notched but are held purely by the clamping action of the housings. However,

I have found that when a large number of pam- I phlets or folded sheets are to be clamped-say enough to form a book 2 inches thick, it is desirable to employ fold engaging hooked bars 40 (Figures 3 and 4). Here it is readily seen that thin strips of metal compose the bars 4I) and that each end of the strips are given a right angle twist and bent into a hooked end 4I. These hooked ends are hooked over the portions of the casings I4 that connect the housings 5 and 'I and connect the two` posts as is readily apparent in Figure 3. As the body of the strips 40 lies between the folds of the sheets or pamphlets the latter are safely and irremovably held in the binder, without the need of great clamping force, thus allowing a maximum of flexibility in the binder.

Figures 5, 6 and '7 illustrate my invention as used with a slightly modified form of binder. In this form each housing 5 and 'I contains a rod 53 and 53@l respectively. About two thirds of each rod is threaded in one direction as at 55 and 55a,-the other and shorter end having threads running in the opposite direction as indicated at 54 and 5I?a (not shown) in the housings 5 and 1. Each longer portion 55 and 55a of the rods 53 and 53a carries two spaced carriers 5I and 50 and 5IZL and 5I)a (not shown) respectively which are designed to travel in the same direction while maintaining their spaced relation when the rods are rotate-d. The carriers have shoulder portions 5l, and 5lFL to which are attached the stranded cores I5 and against which rest the ends of the coil casings I4. Carriers 52 (shown) and 52EL (not shown) are carried by the oppositely threaded shorter portions 54 and 54a (not shown) of the rods 53 and 53a and they in turn carry binding posts in the same manner as described above.

Thus, it will be seen that in this form of the invention the binding posts are not xedly anchored in either housing and that by rotating the finger pieces 56 and 56a both covers can be extended or contracted at the same time. Similarly, by rotating but one of the finger pieces, the device will operate exactly the same as in the rst described form (Figures 1 and 2).

Figure 'l shows a manner in which the linger pieces 56 and 56a, or for that matter the one 34 of Figures 1 and 2, may be seated in the housings and 1. Openings 58 and 58a, crescent-shaped in section and open as at 59 and 59a between the horns of the crescents are formed in one pair of ends of the housings. By means of the openings 59 and 59a the linger pieces 56 and Stia-which are exactly the same as the iinger piece 34, (Figures 1 and 2) may be engaged by the fingers and slid outwardly to the operative positions.

By having a threaded rod in each housing 5 and l, I am enabled to form a binder capable of holding approximately one sixth more pages than the binder shown in Figures 1 and 2. It is also seen that this form of the invention is designed to be used with sheets having notched leaves.

While I have shown and described what I believe to be the preferred forms of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of other expressions and embodiments Without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A loose leaf binder comprising a pair of opposed covers, a hollow housing along one edge of each cover, a pair of binding post anchors carried by one of said housings adjacent the ends and having binding post attaching means extending therethrough, a pair of binder post openings in said other housing opposite said anchors, a rod longitudinally and rotatably mounted in said other housing, the end portions of said rod being oppositely threaded and threadedly mounting carriers thereon for movement in opposite directions When said rod is rotated, portions of said carriers being adapted for binding post attaching means, and a pair of binding posts for said binder each comprising a flexible core having one end attached to one of said anchors and the other extending through one of said openings and attached to one of said carriers, iiexible casings for said cores comprising a tightly coiled strip loosely mounted on each core, and said casings each having one end compressed against a carrier and the other against the opposed housing whereby said casings constitute push elements for separating said housings when the carriers are operated in predetermined directions substantially as described.

2. A loose leaf binder of the parallel bar clamping type comprising a pair of opposed covers, a hollow clamping bar formed along one edge of each cover, binding posts fixedly mounted in the end portions of one bar, threaded binding post tightening means carried by the other bar, each of said binding posts comprising a flexible stranded core having one end attached ton the first bar and the other to said tightening means and a flexible casing comprising a tightly coiled strip loosely mounted on said core, and said casings each having one end compressed against said tightening means and the other end against the opposed clamping bar whereby said casings constitute push elements for separating said clamping bars when the tightening means is operated in reverse.

3. A loose leaf binder of the type adapted for use with notched leaves and comprising a pair of opposed covers, a hollow clamping bar formed along one edge of each cover, threaded rods rotatably carried within each bar and longitudinally thereof, a plurality of carriers threadedly mounted on each of said rods, binding posts comprising flexible stranded cores having their opposite ends attached to carriers in opposite bars, flexible casings for said cores, said casings comprising tightly coiled strips loosely mounted on said cores, and having at each end loose abutting engagement respectively with the carriers, and said binding posts, carriers, and rods comprising means for tightening or loosening the clamping relationship of said bars to said leaves.

4. In a loose leaf binder having opposed side clamps, a connecting post for said clamps, comprising a highly flexible core connected at one end to one clamp, a flexible casing comprising a tightly coiled strip loosely mounted on said core and having one end arranged in abutting relation to said aforementioned clamp, a reversibly movable member carried by said other clamp and having a pull connection with the second end of said flexible core for tightening said clamps, and a shoulder on said reversibly movable member arranged to engage the second end of said casing for actuating its first-mentioned end against the first-mentioned clamp for spreading the clamps apart.

5. In a loose leaf binder or the like having a pair of opposed clamps, a reversibly movable member carried by one clamp, a binding post comprising a pull connection between said member and the other clamp for drawing said clamps together when said member is operated in one direction, a coil spring housing for said pull connection tightly compressed between said reversibly movable member and second-mentioned clamp whereby to provide a combined binding post and push connection for separating said clamp when said member is operated in the other direction.

6. In an expansible binder a pair of clamp members, a flexible pull member therebetween. anchor means for one end of the pull member carried by one clamp member, a reversibly movable operating element carried by the other clamp member and having a connection with the other end of said pull member, and a flexible push member concentrically surrounding said pull member in operative engagement with said anchor means and operating element.

7. In an expansible binder, a pair of clamp members, a flexible cable headed in one member and extending into the other, actuator means in said other clamp member to pull said cable for constricting movement of said clamp members, a flexible convolute walled casing loosely surrounding said cable entirely between said actuator means and the clamp member in which the cable is headed, and said actuator means being reversibly operable to push on said casing for expanding movement of the clamp members.

WILFRID WEDGWOOD BOWEN. 

